


Suffering in Silence

by Haxorus



Category: Little Big Planet 3
Genre: And Sack Thing has PTSD, Can be romantic or platonic, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, It's just preference, Multi, Relationship is open ended, Sack Thing is gender neutral, he really does, newton tries his best
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-08-23 11:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20242213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haxorus/pseuds/Haxorus
Summary: The Alliance is trying to add Bunkum into their protection pact, which allows Newton to see his chum, Sack Thing.However, he discovers a saddening secret that Sack Thing thinks they can fight alone...





	Suffering in Silence

Once the whole titan incident was resolved and Sack Thing was returned back home with the three other heroes of Bunkum, a period of weeks passed before Craftworld decided to reach out to Bunkum with a proposal to join _'The Alliance'_.   
  
Sending the request via Sackbot Space Postage, as the creation masters of Craftworld hoped to get a reply with some form of positive outlook on the request.  
The message came back a few days later with some hopeful outlooks from the creative masters on Bunkum.  
  
The residences of Bunkum seemed to be interested in the thought of joining up with the group that helped Sack Thing destroy the Negativatron for good, all except for Pinkie, being the typical stuck up queen that she was.   
  
However, Marlon, Papal Mache, and the Pud family decided that they would like to meet up and discuss the proposal further.  
  
That lead to a few more letters going back and forth on where to meet, what to expect, and how to get from Bunkum to Craftworld. Thankfully, the Pud family still kept that dimensional doorway functional, which eventually became the bridge between Craftworld and Bunkum.   
  
With the help of Avalon and Victoria, they also set up another portal just like it on Craftworld, just so the Creator Curators wouldn't get stuck with no way back. Completing the bridge and allowing the Bunkum leaders to come and go as they pleased.  
  
Which lead the journey to Craftworld and various meetings taking part in the different sectors of Craftworld.   
  
The Gardens, Da Vinci's Hideout, Victoria's Lab, The Factory of a Better Tomorrow, and the final place to meet up was within Avalonia.  
  
So far, the treaties and proposals were going great. Apparently, Bunkum wasn't as highly advanced as most of Craftworld was, as the prime inventors on Bunkum just happened to be Captain Pud and his son, Newton.   
  
It didn't make them primitive, certainly not. But lots of them had fun visiting the factory of a better tomorrow and seeing all of the sackbots and nifty gadgets that set Bunkum and Craftworld apart.   
  
But now, the Avalonia meeting was being held and the Creator Curators were being held in a large section filled with individual rooms.   
  
It was practically like a resort!   
  
Avalon just took it as a moment to gloat and say _'I just made it in my free time, you can thank me later, haha!'_. Much to the chagrin of Larry.  
  
It was their makeshift hotel and none of the Bunkum Curators could complain. Servant Sackbots, lots of space, futuristic gadgets, thick walls to cancel out sound...it was a wonderful place to stay while trying to finish these meetings up and complete the treaty between Bunkum and Craftworld.  
  
However, it could be quite confusing to remember which room you were placed in, as most of them looked the same on the outside and the only difference was the color that was placed above the door, and this just happened to be the situation Newton had suddenly found himself in.  
  
He was supposed to be placed next to his parents room, claiming that he didn't need to stay with them, regardless of how much Nana Pud insisted, so he got the room next to theirs. The only problem however, was he never payed attention to the colors above the doors.  
  
The last thing he wanted to do was wonder into someones' room so carelessly, so he has been pretty much pacing the halls and trying to remember the color above his door in vain. He could also try to find Avalon to show him back to his room, but it's rather late and there's not a soul to be seen wondering the halls at these hours.  
  
So, Newton continued to wonder the halls of the great Avalonia citadel.   
  
He kept trying to think of ways to find his room again, but only one idea stood out amongst the rest.   
  
He could go see his friendly chum, Sack Thing! If there's one room he can remember the path of, it was the one that lead him to his silent comrade!   
  
Mostly because it was the first place shown, as if it was supposed to be the place that someone should go to if a problem should arise. If he remembers it right, the room that his silent chum was being held in, it was quite near the entrance of the building.  
  
So, his mind began to calculate the path and his feet followed. The directions in his head lead him on a exodus as he wonders the maze-like hallways of Avalonia and finally manages to reach the elevator that lead back to the entrance.  
  
After his ride down, he enters the lobby and scans his surroundings.   
  
Making a short _'aha'_ sound when he spies the door to Sack Thing's room. It seemed to be a plain metal door that had an illuminated hologram on the door that was in the shape of the little chum's face.   
  
Maybe that's why it stood out to him so much.  
  
Regardless, he approached the door and quietly knocked on it.  
  
"Sack? May I request that you help me locate my room again? I seemed to...have lost it." Newton asked.  
  
His request was met with silence, which made him think that his only hope was fast asleep, like everyone else was at this hour...why must he experiment so late all of the time? He knocks again, then waits. No reply.  
  
Newton lets out a sigh and turns to leave, only to be suddenly stopped in his tracks.   
  
A sudden feeling of dread overcame his body and it wouldn't let him leave the door.   
  
Newton was obviously baffled by the sudden feeling that was set upon himself, but no matter how much he attempted to move, his feet wouldn't let him pull away from the doorway.  
  
He was practically frozen there, like...something was just forcing him to stand there like a ninny. He begins to think about his options at that moment. He could enter...but wouldn't that wake Sack up? Would they be mad at him if he did enter their room?  
  
Newton shakes his head and steels his nerves.   
  
There's no way that Sack would get mad at him for being lost, I mean, they weren't even mad at him at the end of their adventure! Sack is very forgiving and would understand...hopefully.  
  
Then, Newton gulps and places a hand on the handle and turned it, opening the door to Sacks' room.  
  
He enters and tries to shut it as quietly as he could. Flinching a bit as the metal clicks into place, once it was over, he turns to search the room. Thanks to his genetic makeup, the light he was producing allowed him to see very well in the darkness of the room.   
  
As for the room itself, there wasn't really much to say about it. It was grey, drawings strewn about the wall, a brown rug, a lamp, some childish toys, a large window, and a bed under that same window.   
  
The bed was obviously occupied by a seemingly slumbering Sack Thing. Sleeping on their belly and with their head buried into the pillow.   
  
However, the feeling of dread only grew in intensity as his eyes landed on the sleeping form of Sack. The sound of rapid breathing reached his non-existent ears, making Newton wonder if they were coming from Sack.  
  
I mean, he HOPED they were coming from Sack. Since there's nobody else in the room and that would be creepy.  
  
With his curiosity piqued, Newton carefully approaches the bed and the feeling grows stronger and stronger.   
  
At first, Newton took it as his own anxiety, but the longer he stayed and examined the scene in front of him, the more he began to doubt it.  
  
Once he got close enough, he realized that Sack seemed to be gripping the sheets tightly...like...vice-like levels of tight.   
  
Along with that, their legs seemed to be digging into the covers of their bed. Almost like they were kicking madly in their sleep...not only that, it was in fact their breathing he was hearing. As their back would rise and fall at rapid intervals in sync with the breaths he would hear.  
  
It was also just now that Newton took notice of the kicked-about blue sheets that were strewn all over the bed, some of it even falling to the floor in heaps. He blinks in silence and decides to walk up and stand next to the bed and examine his snoozing friend much more clearly.  
  
What he saw next _terrified him_.  
  
Sack Thing was gripping the sheets and _SCREAMING_ in their sleep. Yet...no sound came from them. It was like they were screaming their lungs out and Newton was deaf. He heard not a squeak, gurgle, or gag come from them. Only periodic breaks for those rapid breaths, only to start the process all over again.  
  
Breathe, silent scream, breathe, silent scream. It was horrible to watch.   
  
To make it even worse, their eyes were soaked with tears and their pillow had a large wet spot from the tears it had absorbed. It was like they were being tortured while they slept....and Newton had no idea what to do.   
  
He just stood there, completely frozen as he watches this normal poker-faced hero suddenly breaking down into tears in their slumber.  
  
He didn't think anything of it, but Sack was acting a bit off when they all reunited and Newton first arrived in Craftworld. It was great for the most part, but Sack just seemed to be a lot more...distracted than normal....then again. They didn't know each other for too long before he...you know...betrayed them and got possessed.  
  
They left rather quickly too, so it wasn't like he knew them for long. But, from what he heard from the Craftworld Curators, it seemed that Sack Thing has been acting off for a while. Having almost dozed off multiple times during certain occasions and moving lethargically. Newton couldn't guess that _THIS_ was the cause of it all.  
  
Newton could only stand there and watch on helplessly, until he began to try and think of what to do.  
  
Could he wake them up? Would it be too abrupt? What if Sack actually hurts him? What's going on inside that head of theirs to make them thrash about and scream at the top of their lungs? How can he help?? Is there even anything he can do???  
  
He panics a bit and stares at his suffering friend for a moment, before he lets out a sigh and takes off his hat. Setting it on the nightstand and leaning over the edge of the bed, he was going to try the only thing he knows, the same tactics that his mumsy used to do when he was smaller and when he had horrible nightmares.  
  
He crawls into the bed on his knees and pries his friends' hands off of the covers, immediately, Newton was met with thrashes. He expected it as such and tried to just keep his head away from the limbs as he rights Sack Thing upright. Turning them towards him while he was at it.  
  
Then, he just wraps his arms around their torso and pulls them close to his body.   
  
They latched on almost a moment afterwards and the silent screaming still continued, so Newton just kept his hug going and kept them close to his body.  
  
He wondered if he could slowly talk his chum out of their nightmare, like his mumsy used to do.  
  
So, he has a go at it.  
  
"Sack? Chum? Come now, wake up. It's only a night terror." Newton speaks, keeping the struggling Sack close to his body as he does so.  
  
Newton keeps repeating this process, slowly but surely lulling his ally out of their night terror. The silent screaming had finally stopped and Newtons' purple coat was practically soaked with tears. But, it was a price he was willing to pay to save his buddy from their suffering.  
  
"Come on, wake up. It's only a nightmare." Newton continues.  
  
To which, he only stops when he feels Sack's grip loosen.   
  
Looking down at his friend, Newton can see that they are awake now, their black eyes looking up at him, an exhausted expression taking over their face.  
  
Newton could feel pity swelling up in his chest as he looks down at them. They even seemed to be...ashamed? Ashamed of what? Suffering in their sleep due to night terrors? It irked Newton on the inside, but he kept it hidden as he pats their head.  
  
"Well! That certainly was...uh, terrifying. I'm glad I managed to get you out of it though!" Newton tried to be a little bit more lighthearted. Yet, the defeated look that Sack gave him just made him that more worried.  
  
"Chum...I...I don't want to pry on sensitive things...but...how long have you been experiencing these night terrors?" Newton questions.  
  
Sack merely just looks at the bed and refuses eye contact. To which Newton tries to think of something that can help the situation. His head was actually starting to hurt at this point...even more so than when he invents. It was weird.  
  
Besides that, he decided that maybe he'll play a question game. Maybe that will give him a clue as to what is going on.  
  
"Did it have something to do with your past?"   
  
A moment of nothing, before a steady nod comes from Sack.  
  
"Hmm...did it have to do with...the Negativitron?"  
  
Another moment, another nod.  
  
"Ah...I see. It had to do with the battle against it, yes? From what I heard from the Alliance, it was a battle of hardship. That, and you were also the one mostly in the fray. From Victoria's own words; 'it was like we went to war with it'...does it have to do with something involving that?"  
  
Sack stays still for about a few minutes, before they nod again.  
  
Newton nods along with them, patting their back in an attempt to comfort his friend.  
  
"I understand. But...why haven't you shown anyone, Sack? I know you can't speak, so you can't exactly tell anyone about it...but you can certainly draw pictographs! I can see that you're acting a bit...timid. Are you...ashamed of the fact that you suffer from night terrors?" Newton continues.  
  
Sack doesn't really need to say anything, they just look pitifully at Newton.  
  
Newton lets out a huff in response.  
  
"Well now, that just won't do! Sack, I know you're one of those...'heroic types', but that doesn't mean you need to suffer things like this alone! You know...you have lots of friends that care about you, chum. You don't need to carry a burden all by yourself, it's hard to do so. Believe me...I...well...I know how it feels like."  
  
Newton lets out a sigh.  
  
"Back on Bunkum, after I pretty much tried to destroy everyone and everything they held dear, I haven't been the most...uh, well-liked person on Bunkum." Newton explains sorrowfully.  
  
"The thing is, I have nobody to blame but myself. I foolishly released the titans. I ignorantly thought that I could control them. I naivety believed that they would side with us regardless of what they were before. I was...a fool. Now I have to live with the consequences of my actions. Even if I wasn't actively doing the deeds I had done under the influence of the titans."  
  
"The only reason I got to come to Craftworld in the first place was that my mother wouldn't comply if I wasn't allowed to come with her. It's much more happier here and I got to see the world that you came from in full detail. I see why you fought that hard against the Negativitron. Your home is a wonderful place to live."  
  
"Your friends were there when you fought the Negativitron and they can be there for you when you need them the most. You're not a bother to anyone or anything...and by golly, if anyone has an issue with that, you can tell...uh...the _WHOLE ALLIANCE _and they'll all be there for you at the drop of a hat!"   
  
"And...I'll be there for you too! Like when you were there for me...even when I lied to you...got possessed...and then consumed by that awful creature. You did everything you could to get me out of that mess I created for myself. I owe you a ton, chum. I really do."  
  
Newton smiles as he helps Sack clean their eyes from the presence of tears.   
  
The once pitiful look that was present on Sack Thing was now replaced with a cheery smile, making Newton feel much more better about this situation. The feeling of dread slowly ebbs away and now a feeling of tranquility slowly begins to take its' place.  
  
What a sudden turn of events this was.   
  
All Newton wanted to do was relocate his room and go to sleep, but instead, he finds his friend suffering in silence while they're asleep.   
Hopefully, Newton could help to remedy those awful nightmares. Permanently.  
  
"Listen, Sack. If you never feel safe when you go to sleep, I want you to find me and we can spend time together. I'll do everything I can to keep those terrors away. Besides, it's the least I can do! Just promise me one thing..."  
  
Sack tilts their head at his request.  
  
"Please. Don't ever try to handle this stuff alone again. We're here for you and we'll always be there for you when you need us. Okay, chum?"  
  
Newton wore an unusually serious expression as tells Sack this. Sack Thing merely sits there for a moment before silently agreeing with a nod of the head. Then, they promptly plop down onto Newton and let out a long and deep yawn. Exhaustion quickly catching up to them.  
  
Newton could only chuckle a bit.  
  
"I'll stay for as long as you need me to. Just focus on getting some rest, chum."   
  
Newton merely pats them on the head and holds them close as he sits back against the pillow, before quickly recoiling when the wet spot chills his back. He turns briefly to flip it to the more drier side and resumes his previous position, grumbling slightly.   
  
Then he the takes notice of how Sack was silently laughing at him, one eye open and looking at the inventor. He gives them a playful scolding look.  
  
"Oh, go to sleep already, you old dog." Newton playfully chides.  
  
Sack Thing lets out another series of silent snickers before they get settled in and begin to relax. Still laying across Newton as he gives them a couple of more pats. Then, he relaxes himself and lets out a brief sigh.  
  
It's been about a couple of minutes, or at least...it feels that way, and hopefully he was able to give Sack Thing a good nights' rest that they have needed for a long time.   
  
One thing's for sure, though.  
  
_Newton felt like he has done something right for once._  
  
It wasn't long before he also began to drift off. Nodding off every now and then, until finally he began to dream himself.  
  
\--  
  
The next morning, the Alliance was awakened to Nana Pud having a fit about her missing son.   
  
No matter how much Captain Pud tried to calm her down, she seemed hellbent on trying to find her lost son. Which was pretty much chaos for those trying to help in the search to find the missing amateur inventor.  
  
Sackbots looked to and fro, closets, elevators, even VENT SHAFTS were checked just to find this 'missing' inventor.  
  
Avalon was pretty much fed up with it as both him and Larry Da Vinci search the lobby.  
  
"What if he just got bored and went home? Honestly, how can a man go missing overnight...AND IN AVALON OF ALL PLACES!" Avalon grumbled.  
  
"Oh shush, Avalon! You know fully well how much the young inventor was invested in all of your fancy thingamabobs, why would he just suddenly depart in the night?" Larry scolds, as he continues to look high and low for the missing man.  
  
Avalon could only scoff in return.  
  
"By taking _'interest'_, I think you mean _'almost breaking every model of vehicle we had in the bay at the time'_ type of interest. The guy is trouble, I know that much." Avalon complains, jokingly looking in a potted plant for the inventor.  
  
Larry could only turn to Avalon and give him a flat glare.  
  
That is, until he noticed Victoria making her way over from behind him, a hand covering her mouth and soft chuckles seeping from behind it.  
  
"Oh, my sweet cherry tart! Did you have any luck in finding the inventor?" Larry questions, only to be silenced by her giggling.  
  
"Geeze, Lady. What's gotten into you?" Avalon bluntly asks.  
  
Before the two can start bickering again, Victoria presses a finger to her lips and waves her hand in a 'follow me' motion, as she approaches Sack's room. It only took them both a moment to realize that Sack wasn't seen at all this morning either, but Victoria was strangely unconcerned.  
  
They follow her to the entrance of Sack's room, she shows them the 'be quiet' gesture again, and opens the door slightly allowing them all to peek inside.   
  
There was the missing inventor, slumbering on his back, completely clocked out. While Sack Thing comfortably snoozed on his chest, both completely dead to the world and comforted by each others embrace. This promoted snickering from both Victoria and Larry.   
  
However, Avalon wasn't as amused by the situation.  
  
"You're _kidding_ me. He was in here _the whole time? _" Avalon grumpily whispers.  
  
"Oh come now, Avalon. You have to admit, this looks adorable!" Victoria coos.  
  
**. . .**  
  
"Okay, yeah. It is kinda cute."  
  
And let's just say, later on that morning, Newton got an earful from his mother about making her worry.   
  
It did raise a couple of brows as to why Newton and Sack were snoozing in the same bed, and practically snuggling, but with the explanation of how Newton got lost in Avalonia and went to Sack for help, it all kinda just went away.  
  
However, Marlon got up super late that day as he wondered into the kitchen in the lobby looking for some morning coffee, finding Clive in there doing the same thing.  
  
"Ah...morning to you, calendar man! Anything interesting happen while I slept?" Marlon asks as he gets himself a cup of coffee.  
  
"Nothing much really, just that we spent all morning looking for Newton and we found him sleeping with Sack Thing." Clive passively answers as he leaves the kitchen with his typical slumped walk and cup of morning caffeine.  
  
This caused Marlon to suddenly do a spit-take and cough violently into the kitchen sink.

**Author's Note:**

> Second work for this community! I hope the fluff was good and not too cheesy!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
